Our Third Wedding Anniversary

Today is Helen's birthday, but aside from making her breakfast and watching her open cards, I don't have much to report yet - there'll be more later.

Here are some pictures of Emma taken whilst I was at work when Helen was playing with her on her Barnacle Boat play mat. She loves the dangling mobiles and can spend longer and longer enjoying it before getting bored.












Tuesday was our third wedding anniversary and I booked us a hotel on the Gower peninsular called The Oxwich Bay Hotel, so called because it is a hotel on Oxwich Bay. The hotel is right on a beautiful beach and we enjoyed a walk across the bay after breakfast on Wednesday. Pushing the pram across the sands was a good work out, fortunately the sands were wet as the tide had been in overnight.

We arrived just after 9pm and climbed the stairs to a well sized room with a good sea view. We went down for dinner, but found that they'd stopped serving at 9pm. We were both hungry so we set off in the car feeling the romantic anniversary mood ebbing slightly. We found a few pubs that also finished serving at 9pm. Our humour had nearly run out when we arrived in Killay, fully 10 miles from the hotel and found there was a chinese takeaway open. We took the food back to the hotel, and they provided cutlery and plates and we were able to order champagne. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a takeaway as much! Emma was good as gold throughout, sleeping contentedly and waking up occasionally to have a look around.

After our walk along the beach and a quick visit to Oxwich castle, we set off for Caerphilly Castle on the way home. We bought a disposable camera at the castle shop as we'd left the digital one at home. Emma was wide awake while we ate our picnic and she enchanted some passing Welsh people wih smiles! The leaning tower in the photograph is caused by subsidence apparently, but it looks like it's been smashed apart by a cannon! The following pictures depict a drama that unfolded before our excited eyes. One of the castle cats had got stuck in what was described as a store room, but was now a very effective cat trap! One of the castle groundsmen climbed down to rescue Mr Cat who rather ungratefully scarpered everytime he bent down to pick him up. Eventually Mr Cat was captured and released, having hopefully learnt his lesson.






As we drove back over the Severn Bridge, Helen attempted an arty shot of the Suspension Bridge supports to finish the film.


We stopped off at Waitrose on the way back to do a mini shop and to get some nice food for entertaining on Thursday. Helen had invited her friend Kirsty around for dinner. She worked alongside Kirsty at the Gwent hospital in Newport at around the time we got married. Kirsty is a Physiotherapist who lives in Bristol. We enjoyed tuna steak with vegetables - surprisingly enjoyed by Helen despite her normal fish aversion.










After such a busy schedule, I wasn't able to leave the sofa on Friday night and Helen prepared a delicious jacket potato with onions and bacon and a salad.
Whilst I was at work, she'd been introducing Emma to the notion of swimming trunks and a ring to sit in albeit in the bath rather than the swimming pool. It was a great success and from 4 until 5 they were splashing around happily in the bath. Suddenly, it was as if a switch had been turned and Emma had had enough. She screamed fit to burst until removed from costume and dried, then fell asleep. Tiredness was diagnosed! I got home after 6 to find her fast asleep. She did wake later in the evening for a cry in my arms then brightened. She slept very well last night, from 8pm until our bedtime at 11pm when she had a feed, then slept again until 7am.

Here are some pictures of a visit this morning by Connie. Helen is now at Cadbury garden centre having lunch with Leila.